RCMP Commissioner William Elliott tells reporters at Kandahar Airfield on Saturday that if the Canadian government asks, the Mounties will expand their presence in Afghanistan. (CBC)

Canadian combat troops are slated to leave Afghanistan next summer, but RCMP Commissioner William Elliott said Saturday he expects his personnel will have to stay behind to undertake the "huge challenge" of training police officers.

About 50 RCMP and other civilian Canadian police are posted to Afghanistan as part of a mission to train the Afghan National Police. The ANP, as it's known, has had a reputation for roadside shakedowns and graft that Canadian officials hope mentoring, training and supervision will eradicate.

Elliott, who visited Kandahar this weekend to review the Mounties' operations there, said he's seen "indications from the government" that it wants the training to plow on once combat soldiers ship out starting in July 2011.

"I expect that that will continue," he said of the police mission.

"I don't know what the future will bring," the commissioner added. "We're at the beginning of looking at options, but there are a lot more questions than answers at the moment."

One question is whether the Tories will seek to send more police to Afghanistan to fill the void left by the withdrawal of the Canadian Forces. The federal government has been pressured by the United States to maintain a large presence in the central Asian country past 2011.

Elliott assured that if Ottawa wants to beef up its constabulary presence as it draws down the military one, "we'll be able carry out whatever task the government of Canada gives us here."

Recruits substandard, RCMP chief says

Those tasks aren't easy. As foreign mentors try to cleanse the Afghan National Police of its venal tendencies — officers have been known to routinely hit up the subjects of their investigations for a payoff and are widely distrusted by the populace — they've had to adapt their teaching methods for the different calibre of the force's cadets.

"Let's not kid ourselves. We are working not with a modern police force, and not with recruits that would meet the standards of Canadian recruits," Elliott said. "Many of them are illiterate, and that in and of itself is a huge challenge."

Canadian trainers can't rely on pamphlets to get the job done, Elliott said, and have to model appropriate behaviour, including search and detention techniques, to show Afghan law enforcers how to do deal with suspects.

The Canadian police contingent has also tackled the corruption conundrum systemically by helping implement a new payroll method. ANP officers are now remunerated on par with soldiers in the Afghan National Army, and they receive their wages by direct deposit to their bank account to avoid skimming by bureaucrats. It's hoped that with more money in the officers' hands, they will solicit less from the public.

But nothing beats an on-the-spot presence to ensure constables don't stray from the law, Elliott said.

"Frankly, the time that we are there working at police substations … takes away opportunities for inappropriate behaviour."